Bottle carrier



w.,. n .0. f II mmw 16 BOTTLE CARRIER v Filed March 23, 1945 [29 z/vzes/y Z66 Patented July 16, 1946 -=side\.SteeL(ompan-y, Wheeling; Ver aer- VQ p oratinn ofuwestVirginia "ffipplioationtMarch 23; 1945; Serial No. '584,438 --,9.Claiins (c1. eras-as Thisiinventi'on' is :directed. to: an improvement 'zi'nt'bottle carriersland "is d-irectedxmoremarticusla'rlyito a. carrier :int-whicnsazpredeterminedrsnumber of 'bo'ttles -may be accurately supported :in 'Jlmutu'al :co'ntact with" th'erzoarrierrand :each -other to prevent their dependent, movement.

I ":Carriers of "this typeihave b'eBn iheretoforeiprovided': but zusuallyconstructed ofcardboardorslike --materialand having their primary -servicenimenabling a customer ibuyin'gainumb'eriof bOttlGSTtO -re'ce'ive such: aicontainer fori conveniently carryingflthe bottles :as aunit. Suchtcarri'ers however, have proved mi l li-ttle real value "a they are easily *ibr'o'ken or damaged, cannotsbei housed inra :ref'rig'erator with anyficertaintyhof their; remaining inta'ct an-d ordinarily are of :value :only intransporting a selected number of bottles from'ithe store by the purchasernan'd ar eneither -designed nor contemplated foricontinued reuse.

'i'he primary object of the presentinvention ls -the provision of acarrier of this type designed primarily fora definite number of bottles, say *six constructed wholly-ofn etal to provide for continuous and indefinite reuse, involving "but three 'parts conveniently and "easily constructed for interlocking cooperation :when' muse 0r" disassemblage when not "desired for'use to permit marrangement in a compactpackage; to effectively QandEDrODefly support the contained bottles'in a refrigerator or the like and to provide a handle .which .in operative use vcif the carrier projects .{a bove thetops of-ther bottles for convenient portage, with .the'handle movable to avoid projection above or beyond the bottlesfwhen .in a refriger- --ator-orthe like to reduce carrier occupied. space. i .illherinvention is illustrated in the'accompanying drawingin which: v

z liigu-rel isagperspeetive viewpf the carrier;

eFigureQZ is .an :end view showing the handle elev vate'd; V Figure 3 is a perspective viewofthehandle and nits-ubraces; detached; c y M ,7 1

. :Eigure 4o's:azdetaitperspective viewof one end cof:1the=carrier\;.and

- trEigures fiend- 6; arer-views iofrthe handle brace.

The improved carrier comprises' a'body I: prefa'era'bly of imetalrandrimade 11p ofiza :gauge tovprowide 'requi'site rigidity; :body comprises a sblid bottom 2, end avails 3 of the full Width 'of" *thbdttom, andside walls 4 on less len'gththan that 0f the bottom with the ends of the side walls aoedfrom the "end walls to provide openings 5 orQ'c'onvenient cleaning of the inte'rior of the tan-rep and-provide for the-convenient discharge" width" of the slot.

1 oftzany accumulated trefuse. or;.theilikeiwithinitlie carrier. ,7 i

.lEaChlendE walliszcentrallyyprQvided ithe and :ficleadin'g. tfroln.the;bottomt=2 eat the-lowenend and l terminating-.rshort .of the upper ,edge ,aoi thesend wall :to provide transverse 'barsfltbridg-ing :eafih slot at the :upper end. The "upper.redges-roflthe end walls 3 ofvthe body-amiornied withvsnaced .lip's 3v preferablyintfififal projeotionsofithe lend walls, which dipsaarexturned outwardly relatiaverto the interior of :the carrier and present relatively inner or adjacentsquareredgesa9;:with;the;$l1aeing between such :;=edges '191ss ligh}tly";in 1 excessuof'tthe ,.movable.; and obviously -mayfibe readiiy-iandQOnveniently .formed. by conventional :metal operation, a's; for example"; byastam-ping. .g-Ll r The second :-separab1eipart;.0f ,the carrier ing lugs l2, the neck l3 of which is bent at right angles to'zth'e adjacent length ofthe handler-with the T.-head Madispo'sed ;:inward1y of the handle andpresenting :with the neckebrupt shoulders :15,"

all as morevparti'cularly shown aim-Figure. 3. lithe neck 13 of the locking l headsisuofx: slightlysless width than that of the slots firwhile the ihead; 5M1

is;of :greater width thanithat oftheacs-lots...

The handle is"applied. to -the body by holding the handle substantially in parallelism withsthe body with thelocking ends .of the.;handle :disposed below 'lthe lips "8. In this positiomthezlocki ing'head |4=isin paralle1 relation :to the walls'slots 1 6 and the heads ld may be readily passed 'thr'ough theslots to a'rrang'e-th'e neck' I3 betweenitheiwal'ls of the slots. :The handle is then turnedwertica lly of the body; that 'iseto' an 'operaitive po'sitionzabove the body "and 'asthe ends' of .th'e handlezride 'over the portions l 0 of "one or the 'other of#thealipst-t,

' the ends of the-handle are slightly deflecte'dnuter "ride" betweeni'the shou1ders 9 formed by' the I lips. 'As'thus applied;1thehand1e is lo'cked against swinging movement relative to the bodylby' t'he wardly without separating the lockingzhead from the-end wall and the movement of" the handle is continued untiltheside edges-of thehandle prop- The 1ips1-8 flare. arranged-tone .on eachside of 1each.,;s1'ot i andztheioutergedges I l '5 e of the v. lipsi'slope, gradually inwardly :fromi' the v outer ends *of' thezedges 9 .into ,mergence gwithethe auppenedeeiproper ofl'theendswalls 3.; I

L'Ifhexparts sodandescrlibed constitute what may be termed an integral; body. portion of the carrier as none 'ofithe parts referredto {are relatively between the opposite ends of the handle in parallelism with the body by passing the locking means appropriately through slots l8 in the hang dle ends. In order to avoid the bracebar taking up unnecessary space between the bottles-that length of the brace substantially between the handle parts is twisted so that the brace i6 is finally disposed on edge when in operative position. This result is obtained by forming the looking ends of the brace and then giving the brace a half turn immediately adjacent the locking ends as' illustrated in Figure '1; Thebrace lt'is "applied by arranging its locking means in the plane of the 31013518 to prevent entrance of such locking means throughthe slot when the brace l6 -is turned with its width in parallelism with the bottom of the body or transverse the handle ends to provide an effective brace. 3 U In order to effectively brace the parts and maintain them in substantially rigid relation when suchparts are inoperative positions, a tie member I9 is provided. comprising a relatively v narrowv strip shaped topresent sides 20 and end v #2 l which are in vertical alignment with the upper dges of the endand 'side walls 2 .and 4 of'the 1; body when'in position. Thiss'trip is bent 'inter-. I

' m'ed i'ate-its ends to form an inwardly projection 22 by appropriatelybending the material while the ends of the strip diametrically opposite'the proj'ection'22 terminate in inwardly extending 'lips23. .1 The tie member I9 is applied after the application of thegbracing strip 16 by passing the -projection22lthrough the slot, l8 in one section of thehandle immediately overlying and" bearing upon'the lockingmember l1 thebrac bar Iii,

IjThe' lips"22. and 23 are passed inwardly through the'slotlfi in the opposite section'of the handle l l .andthe innerends of the lips are spread apart and flattened to secure the tie member. in posi 'tion. g i

It'will be noted that the vertical lengths of the slot iii are such as to substantially fit in and fill the slots "above the lockingmember I! of the r Y. brace lfi thereby fixing the brace against move- "ment'and obviously tieing thehandle parts in more rigid relation.

The carrier as a whole is-here shown as de- 7 signed to receive six bottles which. through their mutual contact with each other and with the side and end walls. of the body are sufficiently braced to prevent any relative movement tending to slip- ;page' or breakage. .The length of the handle is such that the rounded upper portion will, when the carrier parts are in operative position, project V gsufliciently above the bottles in the carrier as to;v spro'vide a convenient hand hold for handling the 4 bility of their lateral displacement even under tipping of the carrier.

5 may be readily transported from place to place or,

for example, stored in arefrigerator for the cool-- ing of the bottles contents when suchbottles 'are not in immediate u'sel' {As statedr the handle in its carrying capacity projects in part above 7 the upper end of the bottles and thus when in a refrigerator or the like would occupy space beyond that actually necessary. for the cooling of the bottles. 7

, In order toloverc'ome this objection the handle is readily andconveniently moved longitudinally of the end walls in the slots 6 until the locking heads 12 are in contact with the bottom 2 of the carrier. In this movement the brace l6 passes between .the upper ends of the bottles and terminate's adjacent and preferably between the ends 9 .of the. projections.8 so that. the tie member I9 -will rest more'zor. less squarely upon. the upper edges of theend walls 3 and sidewalls 4 of the a body as shown in Figurej1..., The carrier as a whole is preferably constructed of. metal or other appropriate material which wil1:facilitate., con- 1 Walls of the body. are merely of sufllcientflheight to maintain stability of the. bottles -when in. the

carrier which, whileinsuring thatthe bottles may be safely carried in the carrieralso facilitatethe withdrawal or' removal-of any'bottleifrom the carrier... 5

.Whatisclaimedasnewis:-.- p p l. A bottle carrier comprising a body. -a Sep- 4w arable handle for the body, means for assembling V the handle and body and simultaneously locking the handle and body toprevent other than relative sliding movement of the handle while in one wertical plane .relative to the. body, said means '13 providing forunl'ocking the handle and permit ting free separation of the handle from the. body when the handle is in parallel'relation to .the

b y. 2. A bottle handle of rounded length having its ends formed with interlocking heads capable of, being passed throughth'e slots when the handle is in a'position 5" substantially parallel to the body, the locking heads being of alength to prevent 'separating movement of the handle and body when the handle is normal to the bottom of the body; and means on the body to prevent'otherthanaln in- .130 terlocking relation of the slots and heads except in a predeterminedpositon of the handle relative to'the bottom of the body. Y .i a

3. A construction as defined inclaim 2wherein lips are formed on the body on oppos'itesides of 5 each of said slots to receive and-hold the handle againstmovement relative to the body other than in a plane normal to the body.

; 4. A constructionasdefined in claim 2 wherein the ends of the body are iformed with outstanding r70" lips extending outwardly from the body and-do fining the margin of each wall of a slot to receive th'e 'handle,between :them and prevent.

swinging movement of the handle relative. to the body when the, handle is in apo'sition n ormalto "tit t m o thebodm'th ps-helpe a thick- 7 carrier comprising a body-including I a'bottom, side and end wa1ls,1the end' walls being formed with slots normal to the bottom; and a ness to permit the handle to be moved beneath them to free the handle for swinging into a plane parallel to the bottom of the body for release of the handle. 7

5. A bottle carrier including abody integrally constructed of metal and including a bottom, end

walls rising fromthe bottom and of the full length of the width of theibottom and side walls rising fromrthe bottom and having a length less than the length of the bottom, a handle having ends overlying the outer surfaces of th'eend walls and bridging slots in said end walls, each such handle end having a neck extending through its underlying slot and a head at the end of the neck to bridge the slot on the inner side of the end wall when the handle is in operative position, the handle in an inoperative-position at right angles to its operative position, turning the heads to permit their free movement through the slots in the end walls to free the handle, and means projecting from the upper edges of the end walls to provide shoulders on opposite sides of and wholly free of any connection with the handle to prevent swinging movement of the handle relative to the body when the handle is in operative position, said means permitting swinging movement of the handle to an inoperative position under limited movement of the handle ends relatively outward from the end Walls. y y Y 6. A bottle carrier including a body having a bottom, end walls of the full width of the bottom and side walls of less length than the length of the bottom, the end walls being formed with slots extending at right angles to the bottom and terminating near the upper and lower edges of the end walls, the upper edges of the end walls being formed with outstanding lips having curved outer margins and inner abrupt shoulders on the respective sides of the slots, a curved handle having the ends formed with a narrowed neck bent intermediate its ends at right angles and having a width substantially that of the slots in the end walls of the body and a head at the end of the neck having a dimension transverse the neck, exceeding the widths of the slots in the end walls, the handle member being inserted in the slots by movement riding over the curved edges of the lips and into a position between the shoulders formed by said lips, whereby to lock the handle by the head bridging the slots and the handle portion adjacent the head held between the shoulders of the lips, and a reinforcing bar removably engaging the opposed portions of the handle at such distance above the upper edges of the end walls of the body as to permit the handle to move freely lengthwise the slots without permitting any disconnection of the means for holding the handle in predetermined relation to the end walls of the. body.

7. A bottle carrier comprising a body, a separable h'andle for the body, means for assembling j and overlying and fixing the brace member in position, the tie member presenting an outlying shape corresponding to that of the body.

8. A construction as defined in claim 7 wherein the handle portions are formed with slots to provide for the connection of the brace member and wherein the tie member is connected in said slots abovethe connections of the brace member.

9. A construction as defined in claim 7 wherein the handle above its connection to the body is. formed with slots to permit the connection of the 

